2nd April 2025
As warmer weather returns, charity volunteers in Berkshire have issued a timely health warning after vets had to amputate a cat’s severely sun damaged and cancerous ears.
Like any light-furred cat, Gracie’s white coat left her susceptible to the dangers of too much sun and she has suffered because of it. But she has been relatively lucky. Thanks to the swift action of veterinary surgeons to arrest the damage, the sun only took Gracie’s ears. It nearly took her life.
Indeed vets determined that damage to the edges of seven-year-old Gracie’s ears was severe enough to warrant both ear flaps being surgical removed at their base as a precaution against the risk of any disease spreading.
That decision probably saved Gracie’s life as tests revealed cancerous cells, likely caused by dangerous exposure to the sun. Left unchecked, the cancer could have spread throughout her body to deadly effect.
Nikki Butcher, Co-ordinator at Cats Protection Bracknell & Wokingham, hopes that Gracie’s story will raise awareness of the serious risks of sun exposure for cats.
“Vets probably saved Gracie’s life by spotting the severity of the sun damage to her crispy ears and then treating her so effectively,’ she said.
“But Gracie is not alone. Across Cats Protection we see too many cats suffering from the effects of sun damage and it can be easily prevented. Hopefully Gracie’s story will make more pet owners aware of the risks of the sun and save other cats from losing their ears.”
Cats Protection provides advice for keeping cats safe during warm weather.
Gracie has come through her ordeal well. Healed from the surgery, her aftercare focussed on reducing the risk of infection to ensure that fresh skin was able to regrow around the trauma site.
But such intensive treatment isn’t cheap and Cats Protection Bracknell has been left with a significant dent in its finances, so the volunteers have launched an online fundraising appeal to recoup the £1,000 spent on treating Gracie.
“It’s tough for everyone but we need to ask our supporters to dig a little deeper to help us recoup such a large outlay at a time when there are so many vulnerable cats in need of our care,’ said Nikki.
“As a charity we don’t receive any government funding and we rely entirely on the generosity of animal lovers to fund our volunteers and the work we do.
“Every donation will make a difference to cats who need another chance. And if you’re a UK taxpayer, remember to add Gift Aid so we can receive even more money to help cats in need.”
Contribute to Gracie’s fundraising appeal.
Despite some setbacks, this lovely sassy girl has shown incredible resilience as she has healed. She has learned to compensate for the lack of her outer ears by moving her head more to better locate sounds and, thanks to her fosterers rebuilding her confidence, Gracie has been rehomed with a couple who understand her needs.
Nikki said: “We were mindful that sunlight could pose ongoing risks for Gracie, so we were seeking a new owner who would be mindful of protecting her from any more direct sun damage.
“We were thrilled when a lovely retired couple Tom and Beryl fell in love the moment they saw her. They had plenty of time to spoil Gracie and were happy to support her as an indoor cat to project her delicate ears.
“After all she has endured, Gracie has settled wonderfully in her new home. She has the run on the house and two people who dote on her. She’s really come out of her shell and can be very playful. Beryl’s knitting is no longer safe and Tom has almost given up on trying to read the newspaper in peace, but this is a very happy next chapter in Gracie’s story.”
Gracie’s fundraising appeal: www.justgiving.com/page/help-gracie
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For more information, contact Cats Protection’s Media Office on media.office@cats.org.uk or 01825 741 911.
Find more media releases at: cats.org.uk/mediacentre